Response to full manuscript requests

[Violet19]

Hello,

I wanted to ask about experiences of full manuscript requests. I’ve had a couple of full requests, (along with a couple of rejections).

I sent out copies as requested and have been playing the waiting game.

It’s been a few weeks now and so I’m thinking that neither of the agents are interested. Is that a fair assessment?

Am I right in thinking that if they are interested they tend to get in touch quite quickly?

Also, in your experience do they always reply to say no to a full? Or do they sometimes just not reply?

Hi @Violet19 Congrats on getting several full requests - you must be doing something right! I can't give you a very rounded response as I have only had one full request so far but they did come back very quickly - after a week, to say they were half way through and loving it, and could I let them know if anyone else offered me rep. Having read other people's experiences it does seem they do come back quickly if interested, or 'place mark' you, like they did with me (I didn't sign with them in the end, still subbing!).

Others may disagree but as I understand it they should reply if rejecting a full as they usually give feedback. If they don't reply at all to a full I would say they were not worth signing with anyway!

Perhaps try and think how long it will take to read critically a full MS and take notes. Then layer in how many other MSs they may have in. And what proportion of their job role this will be and if it will always be less urgent that all the other tasks relating to comtracted authors and publicity and right unless an author genuinely says they have an offer and finishing that gets prioritised?

Hi @BecauseOfIndia and @Zilla1 thank you for commenting.

@BecauseOfIndia yes your experience was sort of how I imagined it and echoes what I’d heard from others. A place marking and then following up later once they’ve had time to go through it in full.

@Zilla1 thank you. It’s good to be reminded of the time involved and the fact that it’s an unpaid task on an agent’s already long list of priorities. I won’t give up hope quite yet!

I’ll update here if/when I do hear and continue working on my next novel in the meantime.

I've had a few full requests from submitting two novels (both remain unpublished <sob>). Most came back with their polite rejections within a week or two. One was quicker (about five days) and gave me some very helpful feedback. One is still outstanding... just over three years later. So I'm expecting good news on that front any day now 😜
(I did send a polite follow-up email after about four months and heard nothing. I do think not responding at all to a full is bad form, and possibly indicative of somebody who might perhaps be difficult to work with.)

Make sure you keep a copy of the MS - bear in mind that a document does not exist unless it is in 3 places (and the Cloud does not count for this) and back up twice e.g. on an external hard drive as well as a USB, as well as the copy on your laptop. Aware not answer to your question but thought might be pertinent.